Details
Movie Description
In what is widely considered to be even better than the Broadway stage musical, this film version of HAIR, directed by Milos Forman, gives a boost to what was, on the stage, a nonexistent plotline, and highlights the already fabulous score with this epic musical. Filmed on location in and around New York City, the main plotline follows Claude (John Savage) a farm boy turned draftee from Oklahoma on his way to Vietnam. In New York, he is adopted by a group of flower children, led by Berger (Treat Williams) and including Jeannie (Annie Golden), who take him on a series of counter-cultural adventures that introduce Claude to hallucinogens and to a flaky but loveable debutante named Sheila (Beverly D'Angelo). Along with this experience come an introduction to issues of race, gender, politics, and war. The performances--both the acting and the singing--are extraordinary, and choreographer Twyla Tharp stages some of the most inventive and exquisite dance sequences ever seen, including a "horse ballet" by mounted police in Central Park, and an LSD trip-fantasy sequence. The sheer visual energy in HAIR--and the energy of its stars--propels this unique and nostalgic film forward every minute, and gives new insight into the Vietnam War era.
Synopsis
The "Age of Aquarius" is captured for all time in Czech director Milos Forman's version of the hit 1960s Broadway musical. A clean-cut midwestern kid named Claude (John Savage), fresh off the bus from Oklahoma and eager to do service in the military, comes to New York and ends up sidetracked by a nomadic tribe of hippies in Central Park. The group is vibrantly led by Berger (Treat Williams). Claude is eventually assimilated into this family of protesters and falls in love with Sheila, a girl from a wealthy family. Their happiness is cut short when Claude has to report for duty in the Vietnam War. The plot hangs in the balance when Berger poses as Claude to buy Claude a little more time in the name of love. The film is notable for its hit songs such as "Let the Sun Shine In," its choreography by Twyla Tharp, a cameo by the late Nicholas Ray as a general, and for jump-starting the careers of Treat Williams and Beverly D'Angelo. The screenplay by Michael Weller, based on the musical by Gerome Ragni and James Rado, with music by Galt Macdermot, effectively captures the feeling of the movement.
Film Notes
DVD Features:
Region 1 encoding
Keep case
Original theatrical poster gallery
8-page booklet chronicling Hair's miraculous journey from stage to screen
Theatrical trailer
Theatrical Release: March 14, 1979.
The original Broadway cast included Melba Moore and Diane Keaton.
Industry Reviews
"...Vibrant and innovative....HAIR is a triumph of technical craftsmanship..."
Variety - Poll.
Included in the New York Times's "10 BEST FILMS OF 1979"
New York Times - p.II:1 - Vincent Canby (12/30/1979)
"...A rollicking musical memoir....The charm of a fable and the slickness of Broadway show biz at its breathless best..."
New York Times - p.C15 - Vincent Canby
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